MONDAY MIXTAPE – 11/13/17

A few years ago, I attended a conference presentation during which audience members were asked to construct a metaphor to represent our experiences as students. No one had ever asked me to do this, so I was intrigued, but pretty stumped. Then I remembered my old boom box, with its radio and dual cassette deck–I always kept a blank tape handy, ready to press “record” whenever something caught my ear. I realized that I did the same in the classroom, gathering bits and pieces from various sources, often without an idea of how–or even if!–those pieces would fit together. That was the joy of making and sharing mix tapes; when crafted thoughtfully, they were greater than the sum of their parts.

In that same spirit, I share a weekly “mix” of articles, recipes, book recommendations, and ideas in the hopes that something I share might fit into your own personal, ever-evolving collage.

Have something you think I might be interested in? I’d love to hear about it. Share it here.

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-My friend Amy wrote this beautiful piece, addressed to her daughter, about becoming one’s own hero. It’s a testament to the strength and resilience of women of all ages, and it might just make you tear up at the end.

I’ve become captivated by the work of Chani Nicholas, astrologer and total bad-ass. This is not the astrology of your youth, to be found in the same newspaper section of the comics; this woman is the real deal. I don’t understand how it works, but I don’t have to—her horoscopes have become, for me, true tools for which I am grateful.

-The USPS released stamps featuring artwork from Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day, and this quote in the LA Times about the book’s impact when originally published is why I went out to buy multiple packs immediately:

“There was a teacher [who] wrote in to Ezra, saying, ‘The kids in my class, for the first time, are using brown crayons to draw themselves,’” she said. “These are African American children. Before this, they drew themselves with pink crayons. But now, they can see themselves.”